[matthew]

Hi all;

I'm looking for feedback on these four -- favourites, faults, anything.

Thanks!

[NT73]

#2 is very surreal. It appears as a composite. I was passing fields in the country today, with small square haystacks. (like the roll type ones) and the things in the water, come across as those, rather than stepping stones or whatever they are.
Yeah! kind of weird but I like it.

[Keith Alan]

#2 looks like a long exposure plus flash.
Interesting technique, and I like the results.

#1 is soothing to look at, and I like the color tones.

#4 is great--and is improved 100% by the fishing man.
I would have cloned-out the ship since it only distracts me.

#3 needs something else (in my opinion) to make it interesting instead of just pretty.

[matthew]

Thanks NT, Keith.

#2 is turning into my favourite. I've now gone back and re-developed it using the monotone of #1 and better (?) exposure control, producing this:



Keith, you're half-right: #2 is a ten-second exposure with a first-curtain flash to catch the breaking wave, so you get full credit for that one. But you missed the technique behind #1, which is a sixty-second exposure using the flash off-camera to paint the nearby water and rocks when they were exposed. The colour in the original really gives it away, so here's the full frame in colour:



#4 appeals to me because it has a great centre of interest, rewards the viewer, and captures an interesting moment. Ultimately, though, it's just a record shot that anyone with any camera could and would have taken in the same way. Maybe it could find its niche on a microstock site, but otherwise it'll just be a memento of my trip.

And #3 strikes me as a good start for a series, but it's too weak to stand on its own.

[Toad]

I love #1 and particularly #2 (both versions). Sorry for not providing a more insightful critique...

[matthew]

People who are on vacation don't have to provide insightful critique. It's a new rule.

Actually, just a simple preference is a big help. I'm enjoying being able to put together series, but my water shots are too diverse (and numerous) to sort easily. Knowing that other people like the same photos that I do gives me a good place to start.

[Wedding Shooter]

I like 3 and 4 the best - particularly like the way you captured the fisherman in number 4.

[Keith Alan]

The new version of #2 is less confusing to the eye and I greatly prefer it.
The first version is like a badly made red/green 3D, in that it doesn't look logical compared to your new edit.

Don't discount #4 so quickly.
Just because it didn't need any advanced techniques to capture doesn't mean it isn't really fine work.
Crop the top edge off, and play with it some more.
It has more than enough perfection in it that other photographers would have screwed up or missed.
You got it right, and you should let yourself enjoy that without setting your standards too high above what it deserves.

I have a friend that loves it.

[matthew]

Thanks, WS. I do wish I had taken more photos like #3. (It's all about creating a series for me these days.)

Keith, I'll give the fisherman some thought. Something that I've been accused of before is leaving viewers to play "where's waldo" with my photos' subjects. Maybe I can use this as a key image with some other versions of the same scene. And I know someone who really likes it, too.

When I was shooting the surf at night I had three different light sources to deal with. It makes for a really bad colour image, but they're a cinch to convert to monochrome. And I really enjoy the cool-toned results, so that's something I'll definitely explore further.